Recovery focused care improves addiction treatment

When people succumb to a drug addiction it can leave them feeling helpless and desperate.  Often people continue to use drugs because they feel unable or unwilling to address their addiction, or they may feel that no one can help them.  However this is not necessarily true, there are many reported cases of people overcoming drug addictions, and although their stories are often full of hard trials and difficult truths, the fact that they come out of it still standing, and ready to begin their lives a new is incredibly inspiring. 

The methods used to help treat drug addiction vary considerably depending on who you go to.  For doctors they will often utilise medications to help people through, for therapists they will often help people by looking at thoughts and behaviour, and for those who use alternative therapies, they may use acupuncture or other methods to help people with addictions. 

However what researchers state is that no matter what method is used to help an individual overcome their addiction, ultimately true change only comes as a result of lifestyle change.  Often it is necessary for the above methods to be used to help people get started (Nation Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, 2012), but in order for individuals to beat their addiction in the long term they need to use these techniques to make changes to their beliefs and behaviours, and change how they view life and how they cope with the difficulties life can throw up.  It is for this reason that engaging in a programme at an addiction center can be so helpful, as it offers people a safe space to begin their journey, learn the tools to change, and offer them support when they return to real life and are left to face the challenges and temptations independently.

Committing to change is never easy, no matter what the change is, but when something like drug addiction threatens an individual's life, and leads them down a negative path, making a change is so worth it, and can be the beginning of wonderful things to come.

NTA.  (2012).  Recovery focused care has the potential to significantly improve addiction treatment.  Sourced from: http://www.nta.nhs.uk/news-2012-commentary.aspx

Published by on 07/09/2020.